Alejandro Sabella has begun to turn Argentina into his team, naming Lionel Messi his captain. Javier Mascherano has worn the armband since 2008, but as soon as Sabella was introduced as the team’s new manager just a few weeks ago, he announced that he would look for a new captain. That new captain is Messi, which is a strange choice considering his complete inability to play well for the Albiceleste.

Arsenal have failed with an audacious loan bid for Real Madrid star Kaka – but could still buy the Brazilian. The Daily Mail says manager Arsene Wenger tried to act quickly to appease fans in the wake of Samir Nasri’s move to Manchester City, which followed Cesc Fabregas’s switch to Barcelona.

The Argentine gave Pep Guardiola’s side the lead late in the first half and the club’s most recent signing opened his account to secure victory close to the end

Lionel Messi’s goal late in the first half and Cesc Fabregas’ slick volley gave Barcelona a 12th title under Pep Guardiola and a second already in 2011-12 as the Catalan outfit beat Porto in the Uefa Super Cup in Monaco on Friday evening. Messi, named European Player of the Year at Uefa’s Champions League draw on Thursday, scored in the only competition in which he had previously failed to score after he latched on to Fredy Guarin’s shocking pass-back six minutes before the interval.

Football Realm will post there picture of the week from now on every Wednesday, So be ready to laugh evey Wednesday when you visit our site.We bring you the Funny side of all new happenings in Football.

This picture is about Dani’s new controversy of not signing contract with Barca.

Andy Gray has been sacked by Sky Sports over his string of sexist outbursts.

The TV pundit was suspended after his controversial comments aimed at female assistant referee Sian Massey.

But the emergence of older footage – in which he directed a lewd comment at fellow Sky Sports presenter Charlotte Jackson – has forced them to take decisive action.

The leaked film, again featuring fellow shamed colleague Richard Keys, show the pundit asking Jackson to tuck a microphone pack down his trousers.

Gray, he suggestively asks Jackson: ‘Charlotte, can you tuck this [microphone pack] down here for me love… Tuck this down here.’

A Sky statement read: ‘Sky Sports has terminated its contract with Andy Gray. The decision which is effective immediately was made in response to new evidence of unacceptable and offensive behaviour.

‘The new evidence relating to an off-air incident that took place in December 2010 came to light after Andy Gray had already been subjected to disciplinary action for his comments of 22 January 2011.’

Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis added: ‘Andy Gray’s contract has been terminated for unacceptable behaviour. After issuing a warning yesterday we have no hesitation in taking this action after becoming aware of new information today.’

On Saturday, Gray was caught criticising Massey off-air in two separate incidents and he has now paid the price with his lucrative £1.7million-a-year job.

It has also emerged that Massey has now been withdrawn from her role as assistant referee in Tuesday night’s League Two match between Crewe and Bradford.

A statement from Mike Riley, the general manager of Professional Game Match Officials, read: ‘PGMO and Sian believe that with any football match the focus should not be on the officials but on the players and the game itself. That is only fair to those connected with the clubs and their supporters.

KEYS: ‘Somebody better get down there and explain offside to her.’ GRAY: Can you believe that? Women don’t know the offside rule. KEYS: ‘Course they don’t. GRAY: Why is there a female linesman? Somebody’s ****ed up big. KEYS: I guarantee there will be a big one today. Kenny (Dalglish) will go potty. This is not the first time. Didn’t we have one before? Wendy Toms? GRAY: She was ****ing hopeless as well. KEYS: Did you hear charming Karren Brady complaining about sexism?

Real Madrid will make a move to sign Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor, according to Marca, with the Spanish club now having lost hope of signing former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy back from Hamburg.

Madrid will reportedly offer €2 million and the option of a friendly match to loan Adebayor until the end of the season, while Real will pay half the salary of the Togo international, who will be eligible to play in the UEFA Champions League. The new move comes after Hamburg categorically stated the Van Nistelrooy will not be released. "We have rejected for the last time a new offer from Real Madrid. Everyone has agreed that we want a place in Europe, and so it is unthinkable that we would let go of Ruud van Nistelrooy," Hamburg president Bernd Hoffman said in a statement issued on the club’s official website.

Madrid looked to have cooled their interest in Adebayor just over a week ago when they switched their attentions to Van Nistelrooy, and Monaco had stepped in to attempt to take their former player on loan. However, while the tide has turned for Madrid, has the situation changed for Manchester City? They previously said they did not want to loan their striker out after the injury to Italian forward Mario Balotelli. Meanwhile, Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas’ journalist girlfriend, Sara Carbonero, was quoted on Italian television as saying: "By the end of January, either Adebayor or [Miroslav] Klose will be in Madrid to replace Higuain."

UPDATE 16:00 CET: Various sources in Spain suggest that Real Madrid could reach an agreement with Manchester City for Adebayor within the next few hours, and that the striker could be unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu before the end of the day. The 26-year-old will sign on loan until the end of the season, with an purchase option included in the deal.

Barcelona striker David Villa believes that the four-point lead the club hold over bitter rivals Real Madrid is nothing, and that the Blaugrana have a difficult run of fixtures coming up.

El Guaje’ has been in great form as the Catalan giants have continued to maintain a blistering pace at the top of the Primera Division table, but when addressing the media yesterday, the former Valencia goal-getter said he knows that it is an advantage that can easily be made up by the opposition.

He remarked: “The difference is small and for Barcelona to keep up our streak of victories is difficult. We know that we can fail, but we know that if we win, we will be champions. We have an advantage and we must seize it.”
“I do not know if Madrid are in crisis, but we know that four points is nothing. We are very close, and there are many more points to play for. We have to make sure that we pick up as many as possible, because we know that Madrid will.”
Villa also spoke fondly of his experiences working with coach Pep Guardiola, and said that he is confident the tactician will decide to remain at the Camp Nou.
He added: “He has built this Barcelona, people are willing him to renew, he has never done anything against this club, and we would like a renewal to be announced as soon as possible.”